Jan 28, 20233 min read

The 're'discovery of green tea...

Like many others (I suspect), years ago I went through a green tea phase...tossing aside my favourite bold flavoured teabags for a healthier, more virtuous cuppa during the day. I have to say this didn't last long and I really didn't see what the fuss was about. However, more recently while researching hormones, weight gain and nutrition in women, I found a renewed interest in the virtues of green tea, and in particular matcha powder.

The virtues of green tea

Green tea comes from the leaves of Camellia sinensis and has been used for thousands of years in China and Japan for medicinal purposes. The green tea plant contains a range of healthy compounds that actually make it into the final drink. As a beverage or dietary supplement, it is promoted for improving mental alertness, relieving digestive symptoms and headaches, and promoting weight loss, and green tea and its components including EGCG, have been studied for their possible protective effects against heart disease and cancer.

But that was not what drew me down the green tea path.

Why was I so fatigued?

In reality, I really didn't need to ponder this question. I was burnt out, fatigued, exhausted and ready to fall into my two-week holiday at Christmas time with a vigour I certainly didn't have left for anything else!

I had been doing 12–13-hour days pretty much 6 days a week, trying to organize my fitness business to move into semi fulltime while working all day in my library role and extra hours in the gym with classes and clients, and also keeping up with programming, study and research.

So no, I did not have to ponder the question of why I was so fatigued, but I did ponder the question "What can I do about it?" And that is what led me to green matcha powder...

The benefits of matcha

On average, one cup of matcha tea has as many antioxidants as ten cups of your regular brewed green tea and contains one of the most powerful antioxidants known to man, Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG). EGCG is thought to help support normal blood-glucose levels, break down stored fat and support hormone levels in the body.

Another important component of matcha is the amino acid L-theanine which is thought to have many positive effects on our health, such as supporting normal stress levels and positive effects on learning and memory. A recent study in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences concluded that drinking matcha everyday greatly enhanced the overall response of the immune system.

What about my fatigue levels?

Matcha turned out to be a powerful ally in fighting fatigue. The combination of naturally occurring amino acids plus small amounts of caffeine stimulated my energy levels to make it past the afternoon slump unscathed (which on a side note helped my chocolate stash last longer). For some people, the effects of matcha can last up to 6 hours, for others only a couple. But given the other benefits that go with it, I knew I couldn't go wrong with adding matcha to your daily nutrition. Of course, if you are in any doubts about what is good for your own nutrition, contact a nutritionist as they are very skilled in helping you personalize your nutrition to your own needs.

How do I use it?

My favourite and most easy way to add matcha powder into my daily nutrition is in a smoothie. But you can add it to so many different things...yoghurt, ice cream, icing, baking, drinks, and of course, there is the tried-and-true matcha tea (recipe below).

I am currently using NZ company Matakana Superfoods organic matcha tea powder, which I keep in the fridge now it is opened.

Matcha tea

(Matakana superfoods recipe)

Press 1/2 tsp of Matcha tea powder through a small sieve into a bowl
Add 1/4 hot (not boiling) water and whisk vigorously for 1-2 minutes until a foam is formed
Pour into a mug and top up with more hot water if desired